THE STATION AGENT
US, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale.
Directed by Tom Mc Carthy.
The short Peter Dinklage plays Finn, a station agent who encounters a middle-aged woman, Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) and a talkative vendor (Bobby Cannavale). Finn is a bountiful example of the meek – which is what the lonely Finn does for his friends in The Station Agent.
Finn, Olivia, Joe and Emily who inhabit the world of The Station Agent are solitary souls who feel overburdened. Finn is considered physically odd because of his being a dwarf (people want to photograph him or scream when they see him in unexpected places like a library). Olivia feels unloved and abandoned. Joe, despite his incessant talking, is lonely. Emily is young, fearful and pregnant. It is Finn whom they come to rely on. He starts to bear their burdens. While he does some have some outbursts of anger and frustration (especially when he stands of the bar and challenges everyone to look at him), he is quiet and gentle of hear, a meek, good man.
As he gets used to listening to Joe, becomes a kind of father confessor to Olivia and Emily, he finds that he is capable of friendship and that these new friends can, in fact, offer him love and lighten his burdens. By the end of the film, there is a degree of happiness in each of their lives which they would never have anticipated. And they did it themselves, for themselves. Finn inherited the railway carriage but it eventually hemmed him in. In learning to love each other, they have inherited their own part of the world
1. The popularity of the film? Its acclaim? Its portrait of human beings and the human condition?
2. The focus on dwarfs, highlighting their humanity, people's curiosity, criticism, insensitivities? Dwarfs, their life, relationships, love? People meeting them, the response of Joe, Olivia, the shopkeeper, Joe's friends and their mockery, the dwarf jokes, Emily and her scream, Cleo and her friendship, the class and the boy criticising? The bar and the drunk Finn asking everybody to look at him? Different, the same?
3. The opening, the trains? The rooms, Finn and his friendship with Henry, their walking down the street, the shop, his fixing the toy trains, the customers, the young boy gawping? Their going to the train club night, watching the home movies of the train chases, eating together? Henry's collapse and death?
4. Finn and his inheritance, the discussions with the lawyer, walking to Newfoundland, seeing the house, the station? Making himself at home? Cleaning it up, transforming it? Sleeping on the couch? The chairs for hospitality? His posters?
5. Finn as a person, very little known about his background, his wanting to be alone, his gratitude to Henry for inheriting the station, the meeting with Joe, the coffee? Olivia and her running him down twice? The woman in the shop taking his photo? Olivia and her bringing the bottle, their talk, her falling asleep? His wanting to be alone, reading, going out walking, sitting watching the trains, going to the library?
6. Olivia, her erratic driving, apologies, bringing the bottle, staying the night? Her loss of her son, her sadness? Estrangement from her husband while still loving him? Her painting, her friends calling and her hurrying away? Her encounters with Finn, going for the walks, watching the trains, on the train line? Her friendship with Joe? His continued chatter? Cleo and her inviting her into the train carriage to see the spikes exhibition? Her meeting Finn in the library, borrowing the book for him and leaving it, buying the video camera? Joe and Finn dressing up to go to Olivia's to watch the video? Joe and his cooking meals for them, sitting outside and eating his dinner? David and his arrival, her being hurt, the news that he was having another child? Her seeming rejection of Finn, his bringing the shopping to her? The love for Finn, friendship, the finale with the reconciliation between Joe, Finn and Olivia? Their sitting together, comfortable and talking?
7. Joe and his van, his father's illness, his incessant talking, wanting to be with people, feeling rejection from Olivia, not taking rejection from Finn? Following him, walking with him? Picking him up in the car? On the seat and throwing stones at the bridge, watching the trains? Gradually interested in trains? Happy to sit reading with Finn - All Quiet on the Western Front? The phone calls from his father? His friends turning up with the drugs? The puzzle about whether he ever made any money with his van? The father with the two children and his joining in kicking the ball even though he was closed? The camera, taking Finn in the van, racing and chasing the train? Wary with Olivia, growing friendship? His not turning up in the bar and Finn being hurt? His apology? Reconciliation, the happiness of the ending? His gestures of friendship, especially his cooking?
8. Emily, screaming when she saw Finn, wanting the mail address before a library card? Meeting him in the bar, telling him that she was pregnant, talking with him? Coming to stay the night, kissing him? Her boyfriend, his friendship with Joe, antagonism and mockery of Finn, his violence towards Emily and Finn intervening?
9. Finn and his not wanting to go to bars, the appointment with Joe, his not turning up, meeting Emily? His continued drinking, standing in the bar and demanding that everybody take a good look at him?
10. Finn, satisfied with being alone, his reading, eating? The gradual change, his concern about Olivia, beginning to listen to Joe?
11. The scenes of food and drink, sharing and bonding?
12. The film illustrating that it is not good for people to be alone, the nature of friendship - and the quiet scene with the three at the end?
13. A film of ordinariness but of deep humanity - especially those on the margin, those who suffer the curiosity, stares and ridicule of people who consider themselves normal?
